Beryl Love: Our mission is stories that make a difference

Beryl Love, executive editor of the Reno Gazette-Journal

Last fall, reporters, editors and other staff members of the Reno Gazette-Journal went on a listening tour.

We took people out for coffee and lunch. We invited folks in to chat. And we took a lot of notes.

(And in the process I had some great spaghetti at the Coney Island Bar ... but that's another story.)

We learned people want in-depth reporting to help them understand the tough economic challenges we face, and more importantly, what can be done to turn things around. We learned people care about the quality of our schools and want to know how we can move up in the national rankings for education - and just about everything else.

Another message we heard loud and clear is that we need to do more stories about the people, places and traditions that are unique to Northern Nevada. I get that. I love reading those stories, too.

Our listening tour helped us shape the two new sections you'll find in today's paper. The Northern Nevada section makes its debut and will appear throughout the week, replacing Local Life. In it you'll find more stories about you, your interests and the things that make living here one of the best-kept secrets in the world. We've assigned a team of reporters and editors - including writers Guy Clifton and Siobhan McAndrew - to tell these stories, and have put more of our resources into reporting news from the community.

The other new section is one we are calling Reno Rebirth. Fronting this section each week will be a hard-hitting analysis on an issue that relates to our region's need to redefine itself. Today, we look at solar energy and its real impact on the economy. (Hint: It's not about the jobs right now.) Inside the Reno Rebirth section we've housed our Community Forum page, the politics page where you'll find Ray Hagar and Jon Ralston, and our Voices pages. And speaking of Voices ?

Another thing we heard on our listening tour is that about half of you love RGJ columnist Cory Farley. You really love him. The other half of you wonders, to put it mildly, why we can't find a local columnist who writes from a perspective a little more right of center. Stepping into that role today will be Randi Thompson. Randi, who has a background in politics and is a regular presence on the Nevada Newsmakers television program, will provide some balance and, knowing her, a few of her famous rants from time to time. Welcome, Randi.

Finally, we heard from readers who value our commitment to investigative journalism. Our story today on how your home insurance rates will be affected by Washoe County' decision to create its own fire department continues a series of "RGJ Investigates" reports that have brought awareness, and in some cases, meaningful change to our community.

This week also brings a list of improvements for readers who want to access RGJ content from their mobile device of choice. In addition to our iPhone app, you now can find the RGJ in the Android Marketplace. And, if you have an iPad or other tablet device, try out our new tablet-optimized edition. Just launch your tablet browser and type in tablet.rgj.com. It launches like an app, allowing you to page through articles like turning the pages of a book.

These new mobile applications are part of our new full-access subscription plan, details of which are included in today's paper.

The changes in today's RGJ provide the framework for us to deliver more stories about the topics that matter to you the most. That is our mission. Please let me know what you think about our new focus and how we can make the RGJ even more relevant in your life.

Our listening tour is far from over.

Beryl Love is executive editor of the Reno Gazette-Journal. Email him at editor@rgj.com.

ADVERTISEMENT

Most Popular

Most Commented

More Headlines

Most Viewed

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Beryl Love: Our mission is stories that make a difference

Beryl Love, executive editor at the Reno Gazette-Journal, explains some changes beginning with Sunday?s edition, including two new sections. The Northern Nevada section makes its debut and will

A link to this page will be included in your message.

Real Deals

Flip, shop and save on specials from your favorite retailers in Reno, NV